Chapter 94: The Business Trip Ends

Sure enough, this topic successfully caught Zhou Xiaoru's attention.

"You're coming to work at Tengyuan?"

She remembered that this guy seemed to be from A City, but went to work elsewhere after graduation.

Zhou Ding nodded and said, "Over these past two days, Old Gu has talked to me a lot. Looking at long-term development, Tengyuan has much greater potential than the company I'm currently at. Besides, Tengyuan has secured the partnership in W City this time. I think I should give it a try. What do you think?"

Zhou Xiaoru frowned slightly. What did he mean by "what do you think"? Tengyuan wasn't a company she owned; what use was her opinion?

Moreover, this partnership with W City was all predetermined. If such a massive scandal were reported to the local financial press, it would certainly be explosive news.

"Why are you asking me? You should go ask Yu Li, or that person who was outside the door just now."

Speaking of which, Zhou Xiaoru suddenly remembered that when she arrived earlier, she had seen this guy with Fang Qingkong, seemingly discussing something.

"What were you chatting about with Fang Qingkong just now?"

Zhou Ding had originally wanted to steer the conversation away from this, but he didn't expect this fellow to bring it back up.

Helpless, he had to reply.

"You know, when that woman approaches me, it's usually for the sake of Old Gu, nothing more than trying to pry into Old Gu's whereabouts and the like."

Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoru said resentfully.

"I thought she had changed her ways and started chasing you instead."

"How could that be possible? Besides, I wouldn't be able to handle someone like that."

He was also wondering what Gu Liyan had ever seen in Fang Qingkong in the past; was it just that she was pretty?

"Setting everything else aside, Fang Qingkong is a great beauty. Don't tell me you've never been tempted?"

Zhou Xiaoru was truly not afraid of stirring up trouble, persistently probing for Zhou Ding's intelligence.

Zhou Ding was already retreating steadily, begging for mercy repeatedly.

"Big Miss, I'm truly afraid of you. I swear, I guarantee, I have never had a single evil thought toward that Miss Fang."

As he spoke, he pointed two fingers upward toward the sky, putting on a show of swearing an oath.

Zhou Xiaoru looked on, but her face was full of suspicion...

The two chatted for a while longer, and the young lady's anger gradually subsided during the conversation.

Until, after she yawned once more, her sleepiness arrived all at once.

Without waiting for Gu Liyan to return, she went back to her room to sleep first.

Watching her enter the bedroom, Zhou Ding finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, he had truly been a competent companion for this chat.

He had finally managed to talk this high-maintenance lady into going to sleep.

By the time Gu Liyan returned, it was already past two in the morning.

Zhou Ding was already so sleepy he had dozed off on the sofa several times, just waiting for Young Master Gu to return so he could report back to him in person.

If Zhou Xiaoru were to see this scene, she might start imagining that Zhou Ding had feelings for Gu Liyan.

Seeing him return, Zhou Ding hurried to prepare his departure. His schedule for the next few days was packed, and he had work to do tomorrow, so he had to get back and catch up on sleep.

Originally, he had come to their Presidential Suite because he was entrusted by Gu Liyan to look after Zhou Xiaoru.

He just hadn't expected to run into Fang Qingkong at the door, and then have a whole series of events follow.

If he had known it would drag on until now, he should have said he was busy and not taken on this hot potato.

But just as he wanted to leave, he was pulled back by Young Master Gu to continue chatting.

"What are you in such a rush to go back for? Is there someone waiting for you in your room?"

(Today, Zhou Ding had already changed the Love Hotel Room he originally booked into a regular guest room.)

"Please, Old Gu, look at what time it is. I have a lot of follow-up work to do during the day. As the saying goes, 'as long as you're a monk for a day, you ring the bell for a day'; I have to finish this final bit of work."

Glancing at the door to Zhou Xiaoru's room, this guy was holding him back and not letting him leave—wasn't it just for the sake of that brat who was already fast asleep inside?

"I'm telling you, Old Gu, you underestimate Zhou Xiaoru too much. She doesn't need us men to protect her at all."

"Yet you still let Fang Qingkong find an opportunity to hurt her."

"......" Zhou Ding was speechless upon hearing this.

He hadn't expected that after spending half the night chatting and guarding his brother's woman until now, his brother would not only fail to thank him but would also settle scores with him?!

Zhou Ding felt ten thousand points of damage!

"I'm heading back. If you want to settle scores, wait until after daybreak."

As he spoke, he ignored that guy's sharp gaze and dropped one last sentence before leaving.

"That Miss Fang asked me to tell you that she loves you very much, can't forget you, and begs you to give her another chance. Alright, that's all. I'm leaving..."

What kind of bad karma had he created to be caught in the middle of his brother's two women?

It was truly, damn it, as miserable as it could possibly be.

After seeing Zhou Ding off, the gentleman, who was exhausted to the point of collapse, planned to go back to his room for a shower before sleeping.

Passing by Zhou Xiaoru's door, he stood outside for a moment.

He heard from Zhou Ding that Zhou Xiaoru had been slapped by Fang Qingkong; he wondered if the swelling on her face had gone down.

Desperately suppressing the urge to open the door and go in to check on her, he quickly strode into his own room.

He couldn't be rash, he couldn't be chaotic; he had to suppress his feelings for Zhou Xiaoru for now...

The return journey began on the afternoon of the next day.

Because of what happened last night, Zhou Xiaoru had lost the mood to ask for a salary advance.

Along the way, she sat in the car playing on her phone, sleeping, then playing on her phone and sleeping again.

When she woke up this morning, her left cheek was as swollen as a bun, and her whole face was in pain.

That feeling was just like being stung by a bee when she was a child.

Although many ice packs were brought to apply to her face, the effect was minimal.

It wasn't until the afternoon that the swelling subsided just a little.

Gu Liyan had already left early in the morning, and by the time he appeared again, they were already on their way back.

Gu Liyan going out early was not for work matters, but to personally go see Fang Qingkong.

This time, he left no room for sentiment for Fang Qingkong, directly stating a "three-no" policy: do not come looking for him again, do not meet, and do not contact!

This caused Fang Qingkong to start crying and wailing early in the morning, heartbroken, staging a scene from a melodramatic romance idol drama.

And with every meeting Gu Liyan had with Fang Qingkong nowadays, he grew increasingly disgusted with this woman.

He even once doubted how he had never seen Fang Qingkong's true colors before.

Just like how he had never discovered the true side of Zhou Xiaoru.

Fortunately, after they had gone through a full circle, they met again.

It gave him the chance to get to know her again and fall in love with her.

Sitting in the car, Gu Liyan felt heartache for that little face while simultaneously trying his best to restrain himself.

Playing hard to get was not easy to do; he could not do anything else that would make this girl want to run away.

He could only anxiously worry on the sidelines for the time being.

After returning to A City, he would have to invite Su Poyang and Shen Andong out to have a good chat and let them help him brainstorm.

The journey back was truly peaceful all the way home, without much conversation or any interruptions.

Zhou Xiaoru did not mention a word about what happened last night, and Gu Liyan did not ask anything either.

On the other hand, the person who had been holding it in the whole way was Xiao Chen, who was driving in front.

At a glance, the two in the back seat must have had something happen.

As for the red and swollen half of Zhou Xiaoru's face, he even speculated whether it was Gu Liyan who hit her.

Could it be that the Big Boss is a violent maniac? Did he commit domestic violence against Zhou Xiaoru?!

This kind of conjecture stunned Xiao Chen's perception.

He didn't expect that the president, who appeared upright and honorable on the surface, was actually such a person in private.

Finally, with everyone harboring their own secret thoughts, at around eight o'clock in the evening, Zhou Xiaoru finally returned to school.

Standing at the gate of her school, for the first time, she felt that even the security guard uncle at the entrance had become very kind.

It really is better here; she truly had the illusion of having returned to campus after leaving for ten years.

But she had only been gone for four days!

Before setting off, she had sent messages to the people in the Dormitory, but she didn't know what they were doing or if they had missed her.

While Zhou Xiaoru was looking forward to the scene of reuniting with her good friends.

Gu Liyan, who was still sitting in the business car returning to the company, was currently instructing the driver, Xiao Chen.

"Xiao Chen, I don't want to hear anything in the company about this business trip between me and Zhou Xiaoru."

Upon hearing this instruction, Xiao Chen felt a chill down his spine and quickly replied.

"Don't worry, President, I will definitely keep my mouth shut!"

The Big Boss was gagging him!

"If I hear anything at Tengyuan, I will automatically assume it was you who said it."

"。。。。。。。。"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen was already sweating buckets!

He could only control his own mouth, but he couldn't control others; if someone else was gossiping, would he have to pay the price for it too!

This was too unfair!

But at this moment, Xiao Chen dared not show anger or speak, and could only swallow his grievances and frustration into his own stomach.

For this business trip, Gu Liyan had not only warned Xiao Chen in advance but had also instructed several colleagues in other departments.

If anyone dared to gossip inside Tengyuan, he would show no mercy!

As for the ones in the 601 Dormitory, when welcoming back their little treasure, they saw the injury on her face.

Everyone was filled with indignation! An all-night chat was inevitable.

And what was also inevitable was...

Sleeping in the next morning!

The sleep Zhou Xiaoru had was simply a dream of three lifetimes!

When she suddenly sat up from the bed with a jerk, she immediately felt something was wrong!

Oh no! She must be late!

With a swoosh, she hurriedly got out of bed, and in her anxious panic, Zhou Xiaoru skipped the first rung and stepped directly onto the third one!

"Oh my goodness!"

Fortunately, she grabbed the railing tightly, otherwise she would have had intimate contact with the ground.

This early in the morning, it made her blood pressure soar.

Oh my, it really scared the life out of her.

At this time, Jiang Bufan, who was sleeping on the opposite bed, said groggily.

"Little Cabbage, what are you doing, so early in the morning..."

Zhou Xiaoru patted her pounding chest and replied.

"Nothing, nothing, whew..."

She quickly ducked into the washroom, finished washing up, and then put on her clothes at the fastest speed.

She hurriedly grabbed her bag and rushed out of the Dormitory.

By the time she climbed downstairs, she suddenly discovered that she had not brought out something very important in her life.

A mobile phone...

In this era, how could one go anywhere without a mobile phone?!